Dubai JLT residents on living in a traffic jam

As the final stage of the road works in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) has set in, residents have been asked to bear with disruptions to the flow of traffic for the next six-eight weeks.
Emirates 24|7 visited the community to see how the residents really feel about the road works.

The work currently undertaken in JLT is part of a Dh450 million project of the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) forming an extension of the Al Khail First Road (previously named the Western Parallel Road) stretching within JLT district linking the sprawling property developments of Emaar and Nakheel with Sheikh Zayed Road and Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

Service road parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road under construction

Among the activities of the project are the construction of seven main bridges, the improvement of key roads within the neighbourhood, and the construction of a road linking Sheikh Zayed Road with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

Exits to and from Sheikh Zayed Road

Most talked-about are the anticipated additional entries and exits to and from Sheikh Zayed Road, which remains the preferred route in and out of the community for many of its residents.

As a result of the construction work, access to and from Sheikh Zayed Road is temporarily limited on the front side of the eastern two lakes of the community.

"There used to be a straightforward exit from Sheikh Zayed Road, but this exit has closed.
“There is a roundabout, and we have to make a U-turn in order to reach our tower," explained Daniel Refaat (37) from Egypt, who lives in Cluster E.

Road works at JLT.

"It takes us about 7 minutes more to reach home. But if this means there will be an additional bridge to enter Sheikh Zayed Road, this will improve the traffic flow."

Further east, the entry onto Sheikh Zayed Road is widened. However, a temporary construction has narrowed down the options for residents of the far eastern corner.

"When I take Sheikh Zayed Road there are some additional jams at rush hours," said Ahmed Abusree (30) from Egypt, who lives in Cluster B.

"But there were always jams on this road, so as far as I am concerned the construction work does not make much difference.

"The bridge will not add an extra exit, but it will make the road wider. Traffic might become smoother after six-12 months, in that case it is worth improving," he added.

"This road was always jammed, so the construction work does not make much of a difference for me," agrees Kazakh Victoria Cherkashina (27) who lives in Cluster A.

Cluster Q

As a result of the construction work taking place on the front, residents at the rear end of JLT suffer additional traffic jams, which lead all the way up to Cluster Q, said the Syrian Basel Ajlani (25) who lives in this Cluster.

"There was always a lot of traffic on this road, but the roundabout between the two lakes is now used by traffic coming from three different directions and it gets jammed during rush hours.

"Safety is also a concern here, as vehicles can come from directions you do not expect. The new bridge might improve safety at this point."

Exit via Almas Road

To divert traffic from the Clusters N, A, B, and C, master developer Dubai Multi Commodity Center (DMCC) has suggested resident exit via Almas Road towards the south side of the development (Jebel Ali side).

Residents of the Clusters D-M it suggested exiting Sheikh Zayed Road via the South side of the development (Jebel Ali side).

It is advice picked up by Mitin Itkyal (42) from India, who lives in Cluster N.

"The situation changes all the time. One morning this road is closed, the next day it is another road. It is a very confusing situation, especially for visitors to the area," Mitin explained.

Belarusian Marta Bulik (27) who lives in Cluster L adds, "I have no idea what is going on and why. I just know that there is always something going on from the moment I have come to live here. I just hope it will finish soon," she said, adding that she uses only the exit to Sheikh Zayed Road.

"The entrance of the basement level parking has been closed, so I have to drive up first in order to get out," said Myron Kushnir (35) from Ukraine who lives in Cluster B.

"But it is not a big deal. If this means the roads will improve it is a good thing. The roads do need widening, because there are always traffic jams," he added.

The Western Lakes

Although residents of the two eastern lakes are most affected, residents of the western (partly dredged) lakes enjoy a relatively smooth entry onto Sheikh Zayed Road.

"I find getting onto Sheikh Zayed Road very easy," said the British Elly Prowting (29) who lives in Cluster U. "There is some additional traffic, but that is it. I think it will only improve the situation, although it does take very long."

DMCC suggested residents of the Clusters O-W exit towards Abu Dhabi or Dubai by turning left in front of Cluster G, proceeding towards Emirates Hills.

Residents are directed to a temporary roundabout.

However, not everybody agrees.

"I would still take Sheikh Zayed Road," said Basel. "The Western Parallel Road is very bumpy. I would say this road could use some improvement as well."

Parallel Roads Project

The road construction in JLT forms stage III of the broader Parallel Road Project, which is aimed towards improving and streamlining the traffic flow in the eastern traffic corridor parallel to the Sheikh Zayed Road, serving the traffic inbound from Sheikh Zayed Road heading towards the Business Bay district, and linking Al Khail Road with the internal roads of the Business Bay district, said RTA's CEO Mattar Al Tayer in a statement earlier.

All pictures by: Majorie Van Leijen

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